落 meaning and stroke order
To fall or drop; (of the sun) to set; (of a tide) to go out
How to write 落, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
Meaning of 落
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to fall or drop
- (of the sun) to set
- (of a tide) to go out
- to lower
- to decline or sink
- to lag or fall behind
- to leave out
- to be missing
- to leave behind or forget to bring
- to lag or fall behind
- colloquial reading for 落[luo4] in certain compounds
How 落 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Plant.
艹 gives the meaning and 洛 hints at the sound.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 落
落 is grass 艹 on top of 洛 (luò), which gives the sound. Picture leaves and petals from the plants above drifting down and falling to the ground.
落 (luò) means to fall, drop, set, or fall behind, and it appears in many common words like 落后 (luòhòu, to lag behind), 降落 (jiàngluò, to land), and 角落 (jiǎoluò, corner). Example: 太阳落山了。(Tàiyáng luò shān le.) The sun has set.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 落 with 洛 (luò), the city name in 洛阳, because they sound the same. Only 落 has the grass radical 艹 on top, and only 落 means to fall.
Common words with 落
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 落后 | luòhòu | to fall behind; to lag (in technology etc) | HSK 3 |
| 降落 | jiàngluò | to descend; to land | HSK 4 |
| 落实 | luòshí | practical; workable | HSK 5 |
| 角落 | jiǎoluò | corner (of a room, courtyard etc); (fig.) remote spot; nook | HSK 7-9 |
| 堕落 | duòluò | to degrade; to degenerate | HSK 7-9 |
| 落下 | luòxia | to fall; to drop | HSK 7-9 |
| 下落 | xiàluò | whereabouts; to drop | HSK 7-9 |
| 失落 | shīluò | to lose (sth); to drop (sth) | HSK 7-9 |
| 落地 | luòdì | to fall to the ground; to be set on the ground; to reach to the ground; (of a baby) to be | HSK 7-9 |
| 脱落 | tuōluò | to drop off; to fall off; (of hair, teeth etc) to fall out; to omit (a character when writ | HSK 7-9 |
| 水落石出 | shuǐluò-shíchū | (lit.) as the water recedes, the rocks appear (idiom); (fig.) the truth comes to light | HSK 7-9 |
| 冷落 | lěngluò | desolate; unfrequented | HSK 7-9 |
| 没落 | mòluò | to decline; to wane | HSK 7-9 |
| 坐落 | zuòluò | to be situated; to be located (of a building) | HSK 7-9 |
落 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 落
How many strokes are in 落?
落 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 落 mean?
落 (luò) means to fall or drop; (of the sun) to set; (of a tide) to go out. A common word with it is 落后 (luòhòu), meaning "to fall behind; to lag (in technology etc)".
How do you pronounce 落?
落 is pronounced luò, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 落?
The radical of 落 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 落 under this radical.
Is 落 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 落 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
When is 落 read là instead of luò?
The là reading means to leave something out or forget it, as in 我把手机落在家里了 (Wǒ bǎ shǒujī là zài jiā li le), I left my phone at home. In this sense it is spoken and casual. Most other words use luò.
What is the difference between 落 and 掉 for falling?
掉 (diào) is more everyday and is often used for things dropping by accident, like 手机掉了. 落 sounds a bit more formal or literary and is used for leaves, the sun, planes landing, and abstract ideas like falling behind.